ΤΟΥ OF THE MΟΝΤΗ SEABOB F9

Seabob's sleek, lightweight underwater scooter has had a style and performance upgrade

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If you liked the iconic Seabob FS, you'll love the F9. For a start, it adds genuine portability to the mix. While the F5 weighs between 29 and 34kg, the new F9 weighs as little as 21kg. It's also 12cm shorter and 3cm shallower, making the new scooter as much a plaything for day boats as for larger yachts. It’s subtly prettier too, with a bigger, deeper dash recess and slicker fairing around the handles and at the aft end. And if the aesthetic is a step up, so is the performance.

Premiered at the Palm Beach Yacht Show in March, you can upgrade the battery from 18 to 27Ah for extra running time or you can opt for the extra thrust of the F9S model's 3.6kW (rather than 2.6kW) motor. Operating times from 40 minutes to an hour and charging times of as little as 60 minutes look very decent. And you can also tweak the performance with Dive Mode for smooth sub-surface control or Sport Mode for uprated acceleration.

CONTACT www.seabob.com

PRICE from €10,549

ICOM IC-M25 EVO

Icom's expertise looks to have been well used on this new handheld VHF. Ideal for an open boat or tender, the slightly tapered lower half comes with a knurled finish for a secure grip when wet. The LCD screen is also pretty large, relative to the proportions of the unit (weighing just 228g and measuring 31mm deep).